Process for extinguishing flames in tanks.



P. STEINER & O. ADT.

PROCESS FOR EXTINGUISHING FLAMES IN TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 19M.

1,1 64,234. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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PROCESS FOR EXTlNGUISHING FLAMES IN TANK S. I

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1914.

1,164,234. Patented Dec. 14, i915 i;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL STEINER, OE BERLIN, AND OTTO ADT, 01? BUCH, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR EXTINGUISHING FLAMES IN TANKS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, PAULSTEINER, a subjectof the King of Prussia, residing at Berlin, Germany, and O'rro Am, asubject of the King of Prussia, residing at Buch, near Berlin, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes forExtinguishing Flames in Tanks; and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to a process for ex tinguishing flames in tanksfor inflammable, easily combustible liquids such as petrol or the like,as well as to apparatus for carrying out the process. It has been foundthat when such tanks are on fire, the cover of the tank is nearly alwaysdestroyed or blown off by an explosion, and the flames cause, then bytheir movement upward, a flow of fresh air from the sides, that is tosay, draw the air required for combustion at the walls of the tank. Ifthe said air is replaced by a flameextinguishing gas, the flame will beextinguished. This circumstance has been uti lized for the newextinguishing process.

Various apparatus for carrying out the process, that is to say, forsupplying flameextinguishing gas at the wall of the tank, areillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a vertical section through a tank with the new supplydevice. Fig. 1 is a plan of the said tank. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough a tank with another construction of the supply device. Fig. 2 isthe bottom portion of a tank with a third construction in verticalsection, Fig. 3 is a portion of a vertical section through a tank with afourth construction, Fig. 4: is a vertical section through a tank with afifth construction, Fig. 5 is a portion of a vertical section through atank with a sixth construction and Fig. 6 is a vertical section througha tank with a seventh construction.

In all the tanks, it has been assumed that the cover which otherwise isalways placed on such tanks, has been removed or destroyed by theexplosion.

The new process is as follows: Flame-extinguishing gas is allowed toescape all around the tank wall at the surface of the liquid, so that itis depressed by the laterally entering air, against the surface of theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Application filed. April 16, 1914. Serial No. 832,357.

burning liquid and driven by the incoming air toward the center of theburning surface of the liquid, so that it spreads as an incombustiblecurtain over the liquid, thus shutting off the surface of the liquidfrom the fresh air, prevents the two from coming into contact andincloses the flame itself on all sides by rising along the same, and inthat way also shuts off the flame from the air and thus extinguishes it.It goes without saying that the gas combines at the surface of theliquid with the incoming air and forms a gas mixture which, however,owing to the high proportion of the flame-extinguishing gas, is nolonger sufficient for maintaining combustion and therefore also acts asan extinguisher.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 1 for carrying out the process, is asfollows: a is the tank for the inflammable liquid, for instance petrol,closed below by a bottom 2'. Near the bottom is arranged a false bottomwhich has the shape of an inverted arch and is provided near the wallwith a number of fine openings 25. The outer bottom 2' of the tank isprovided with a supply pipe 1 for the gas, while the supply anddischarge of the liqui d can be effected through a pipe .9 arranged inthe interior of the pipe Z and projecting through the bottom it. Whenthe liquid in the tank is on fire, air flows from all sides over theupper edge of the vessel, toward the flame rising from the surface ofthe liquid,

as shown by the arrows III. If a flame extinguishing gas, for instancecarbonic acid, is admitted through the pipe Z into the tank, it willstrike the bottom surface of the cupped false bottom 7:, spread alongthe same uniformly to all sides and reach the holes t through which itwill pass and in that way rise in line jets upward, near the wall of thetank, through the liquid. It will then strike the air III and flow inthe direction of the arrows II, along the surface of the burning liquidand shut it ofi from the air in an efficacious manner. The flame willthus be displaced toward the center and that end the false bottom is, inorder to enable it to be easily put in its place, is made up of singleparts m connected together by means of upwardly projecting annularflanges. The necessary distance from the tank bottom 2', that is to say,the support of the false bottom is effected by radial ribs a directeddownward, which are at the same time used for guiding the gas in theradial direction. The inner false bottom is therefore loosely resting onthe tank bottom i. Instead of a bottom with numerous holes 2?, couldalso be used a false bottom without holes, which does not reach to thewall of the tank, but is slightly smaller than the tank and thus allowsthe gas to escape through a narrow slot close to the wall of the tankand along the latter. Such a device is shown in Fig. 2 and the falsebottom is supported by any approved means, such as hereinbeforedescribed, a little distance above the tank bottom. It will be seentherefrom that the supply is effected here only directly along the wallof the tank. In place of the cupped false bottom could also be used aninverted conical bottom as shown in Fig. 2

The device shown in Fig. 3 shows, in combination with the false bottom,a cylindrical wall b adjoining the outer edge of the false bottom andleaving only a small annular slot between it and the wall a of the tank.In that way, the gas in rising is guided close to the wall of the tank.The rising bubbles are therefore prevented from getting to the surfacenearer the interior of the tank.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, on the wall of the tank are arrangedseveral annular conduits 0, d, 6, one above another, the gas beingsupplied to them through pipes g and escaping through annular slots f.This construction avoids any stirring of the combustible liquid by therising gas bubbles. In the said construction, flame extinguishing gas issupplied only through the uppermost annular conduit, for instancethrough c and passes to the surface of the liquid, without passingthrough it and stirring it up. Sev eral such annular conduits areprovided in order that, when the fire has already destroyed theuppermost conduit or conduits, the supply of the extinguishing gas couldbe effected through the next lower one. It goes without saying that ifthe upper annular conduits are destroyed and no longerof use, the nextlower conduit could be utilized even if it still be covered with theliquid. A good extinguishing action will then still be obtained.

The construction shown in Fig. 5 is provided with an annular conduit 0only at the upper edge of the tank, namely on the outside. Owing to itsposition, this conduit is protected in case of fires, and the flameextinguishing gas passes from it over the upper edge of the tank and isforced down on to the surface of the liquid.

lVhile the constructions shown in Figs. 15, supply flame extinguishinggas either below or above the surface of the liquid, the supply in theconstruction shown in Fig. 6, always takes place direct in the plane ofthe surface of the liquid, that is to say, neither below nor above it,whatever be the level of the said surface. To that end, is provided anannular conduit h in the same way, as the annular conduits of thedevices shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This annular conduit is not connectedhowever to the wall of the tank, but is freely movable, and as it isfilled with gas, it floats on the surface of the liquid, that is to say,rises and sinks with it. The supply of gas to the movable annularconduit 72. takes place through jointed pipes 0 p from a fixed supplypipe. The ointed pipes are pivoted to the supply pipe at 1" and to thefloating annular conduit at The gas escapes from the floating conduit itthrough openings of any desired shape, and acts in the same way as inthe other devices. Instead of the jointed pipes could also be usedflexible pipes (hose pipes).

The illustrations in the drawings are diagrammatic, and the apparatuscould show various deviations without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

\Vhat we claim is 1. A process for extinguishing flame in a tank forinflammable liquid, which consists in admitting a fire-extinguishing gasto the gas space of the tank around every portion of its. side wall,thereby cutting off the access of air to the surface of the liquid inthe tank.

:2. A process for extinguishing flame in a tank for inflammable liquid,which consists in admitting a fire-extinguishing gas to the tank aroundits side wall below the surface of the liquid, and permitting the saidgas to rise through the liquid and escape therefrom around every portionof the tank wall into its gas space, thereby cutting off the access ofair to the surface of the liquid in the tank.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures, in presence of twoWitnesses.

PAUL STEINER. OTTO ADT.

Vitnesses VVOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPEB- Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.Washington. D. G.

